


Gravitational

by ConjureUpaSmile



Series: Like the Old Man Said [2]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Getting Together, M/M, Maturing Tony, Patient Steve, Steve Needs a Hug, Tony Feels, Tony gets in his own way, Tony-centric, miscommunications
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-11
Updated: 2015-11-11
Packaged: 2018-05-01 02:37:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5188958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ConjureUpaSmile/pseuds/ConjureUpaSmile
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Tony tried to ignore the shaking in his hands.  He clenched his jaw and stood his ground, watching as Cap pulled his cowl off as he approached.  </p><p>“What?” Cap questioned as he entered Tony’s personal space.  “What did you say?”</p><p>The emotions conjured by the image in front of him were just as unwanted as the goosebumps, but who could blame him?   He wanted nothing more than to press his lips against Steve’s just like he had that first time two months ago."</p><p> Somehow Tony always finds a way to look a gift horse in the mouth.  There's only one way for him to find sleep at night and he'll have to come to terms with some unwanted emotions in order to finally get rest and get Steve.</p><p>Part 2 of "Like the Old Man Said" Series.  Can be read alone, but makes more sense following Slumber.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gravitational

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Русский available: [Гравитация](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8349943) by [Unforgiven2205](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unforgiven2205/pseuds/Unforgiven2205)



> Well, here is the long anticipated sequel to Slumber. I'm not sure that I love it or if it's the sequel that Slumber deserves, but this is how it turned out. Anyway, ye asked and ye received. 
> 
> *un-beta'ed*

Tony tried to ignore the shaking in his hands. He clenched his jaw and stood his ground, watching as Cap pulled his cowl off as he approached. 

“What?” Cap questioned as he entered Tony’s personal space. “What did you say?”

Steve stopped as he came chest to chest with the smaller man, close enough that Tony could feel the heat radiating off of the super soldier but still just shy of the touch that Tony craved. Tony swallowed thickly and lifted his chin. They were close enough that he could feel Steve’s warm breath against his skin, causing unwanted goosebumps to spring to life on his arms. 

Maybe it was anger, or maybe it was something else, but Steve’s pupils were blown wide. His hair was cowlicked from being stuck under the cowl. The emotions conjured by the image in front of him were just as unwanted as the goosebumps, but who could blame him? He wanted nothing more than to press his lips against Steve’s just like he had that first time two months ago. 

Man, had he fucked this one up.

 

It was two months ago that Tony had emerged from his workshop after two weeks of sulking and attempting to find sleep on the uncomfortable, Steve-less, ratty cot that served as a bed during Tony’s pity party. Two months ago that Tony found a large, hyper-masculine Goldilocks in his bed. Steve had told him to get his head out of his ass, which was as much of an invitation to kiss him as Tony had ever heard. 

Steve was breathing harder and he unconsciously licked his lips, drawing Tony’s attention to them.

“Steve?” Tony didn’t mean for his voice to sound so wrecked, so unsure. “Don’t freak out.” With that, he closed the distance between them.

It was better than Tony could have ever dreamed.

Steve Rogers may be one of the greatest tactical minds of both the 20th and 21st centuries, but apparently that talent didn’t directly translate to kissing. He was unsteady, clutching to Tony desperately and sliding his deliciously soft lips against Tony’s without coordination. What Steve lacked in skill, though, he made up for in enthusiasm. 

Steve moaned softly as Tony’s hands explored Steve’s chest beneath his snug t-shirt. Needing to taste more, Tony’s tongue teased its way into Steve’s mouth and Steve’s tongue eagerly responded. He pressed his body against Tony’s, as if he could cause their bodies to meld together if he just pulled Tony closer. As Tony arched into the blonde, Steve’s desire became apparent to the genius.

“Stevie?” Tony regretfully removed his lips from Steve’s for just a moment to get a coherent thought out. “You okay, baby?”

He can’t stop. Tony’s been doing it wrong all these years. He thought that aged bourbon gave him the best buzz, but it was nothing compared to the taste of Steve’s skin. He was already licking and nipping along the blonde’s neck before Steve’s hummed reply came, soon cut off by a groan as Tony latched onto Steve’s pulse point. 

Steve’s hands finally made their way under Tony’s shirt and he was at risk of coming undone before this ever started.

“Babe, is this okay? You okay?” Tony should receive an award for making a complete sentence. And for being so considerate. If no one else was going to give him an award, he was damn sure going to give himself a raise on Monday. The board would understand.

Still, Steve hadn’t given him a real response. 

Tony pulled away to look into Steve’s ice blue eyes. He was met with a hazy gaze before Steve’s large hand gripped the back of his neck and crashed his mouth back into Tony’s. That counts as consent, right? 

Then Steve’s hands were moving up Tony’s body, dragging the grimy work shirt with them. Lifting his arms and giving his head a quick shake, Tony was freed from the captivity of his clothing and surged back forward to press more of his skin against Steve’s. Steve’s own shirt had ended up bunched up under his arms and Tony was afraid that was as far as that shirt was going to get. There was simply too much more that Tony wanted see, wanted to feel.

As their lips tangled, Tony’s fingers danced down Steve’s side toward the elastic waistband of his sweatpants. Slipping just the tips of his fingers under the waistband, Tony groaned and pulled his mouth away to ask permission.

“This okay, babe?”

Steve gave another nonspecific hum and pressed his face into Tony’s neck.

“C’mon, sweetheart -- Oh fuck, Steve!” Tony was momentarily distracted by Steve’s ministrations. “Yeah, just like that, baby. You’re so perfect. Just give me a little consent here. I’ll need a ‘yes’ before I can add you to my spank bank.”

“Your…what?” Steve’s hands stopped doing that wonderful thing they were doing and his voice suddenly sounded soberingly disappointed.

Tony opened his mouth to talk his way out, but no words came to him. There had to be the right words. If he could just admit that he was wrong to say that, they could get back to what they had been doing.

Instead Tony’s jaw snapped shut as if by its own volition. 

“What’s happening here, Tony?”

C’mon, Tony. Say something. Tell him, Tony coached himself. It was soon too apparent that he hesitated too long as his golden opportunity was pushing himself up and out of Tony’s bed before the genius could formulate any English.

“Cap! Wait!” Finally words tumbled out of the brunette’s mouth. “This is…wait! Jesus! Could you just wait, Steve?” Thankfully the words were enough to cause the super soldier to cease his retreat. Now if only Tony could make more words come out. Good ones would be nice.

“Steve, this is…this is…nice. I want…this.” Well, it obviously wasn’t Tony’s most profound speech. Steve must not have thought so, either, because he turned back to the bedroom door with a disappointed shake of his head.

“I thought you might have gotten your head out of your ass, Tony. I couldn’t be more sorry that I was wrong.” Steve wouldn’t even make eye contact with the mechanic. Even Tony had to admit that this was bad. 

What was on the other side of Tony’s bedroom door didn’t make the situation any better. 

As Steve swung the door open, the two met were met with the sight of Clint, Natasha, and James Buchanan Barnes, the two former all in their battle gear. For a moment Tony thought that Steve was going to shut the door back, but the super soldier seemed to think better of it and instead stepped out with only a faint tinting to his cheeks.

“Uh…what’s going on here?” Tony questioned the entourage in his living room. 

“I feel like we should be the ones asking you that,” Clint responded before suffering an elbow to the ribs from his partner in crime. 

“Steve? I thought you said you were going on a date tonight,” Bucky turned to his childhood friend and questioned. 

“There was a changes of plans, Buck.” Steve’s face turned crimson, but his voice was calm as he responded over Clint’s muffled laughter.

“We were just looking for Cap, Stark. Fury needs us. We figured you might know where he went. Now that we found him, we have a flight to catch. C’mon, Steve. We’ll brief you on the way,” Natasha explained with the same unreadable, stoic expression she always wore. Steve just nodded and lead the way to the elevator without so much as a backwards glance. Bucky and Natasha turned to follow, Clint giving Tony a pointed look with raised eyebrows before jogging off to join his teammates in the elevator. 

 

 

It only took Tony ten days to realize that the wonder twins had returned but he still hadn’t seen hide or hair of the two super soldiers. Every night he had watched the minutes slowly slip by, hoping that a certain giant blonde man would appear to chase his nightmares away. He knew that it was a high hope considering how well their last parting had gone, but Captain America was supposed to never back down from a challenge. Apparently the man could punch Hitler, but Tony was too much of an ass to warrant any of Steve’s time. 

Clint and Natasha weren’t helpful. In fact, bird brain seemed to get some disturbing amount of pleasure from pretending not to know where Steve was. At least Natasha had the decency to pretend to be remorseful. Or ambivalent. It was really difficult to read Natasha’s expressions.

So, it really wasn’t his fault that it took him ten days to realize that Steve wasn’t around at all. In fact, given his usual levels of preoccupation, ten days really wasn’t all that bad for realizing one of his towermates was MIA. It was FRIDAY, however, that he really had to thank.

 

 

“Boss?” FRIDAY called out.

“Damnit! What, FRIDAY? What was so important that you had to wake me up at…whatever time it is?” Tony spat out. Restful sleep had been hard to come by for the last week and a half and he had just finally obtained some. So sue him if he was a little upset that his AI had pulled him out of a dreamland.

“It is 4:06 in the morning, boss. I wished to inform you that the Captain has awakened. He called for you several times while sleeping and I felt that Protocol 238SR had been sufficiently triggered,” FRIDAY explained.

“Where is he now?” Tony dragged his hands across his face and scrubbed at his bleary eyes, trying to kick his brain into motion for formulating a plan to talk to the man he so skillfully pissed off.

FRIDAY paused.

“I am authorized only to disclose that he is not in the tower,” FRIDAY finally answered. 

“Not in the tower? This information is coming from..your remote feed? His cell phone?” Tony’s brain was still sluggish with sleep deprivation, but everything was starting to make sense now. “Patch him through please, FRIDAY. Audio only.”

Instead of a verbal response, Tony was answered with the sound of a ringing phone. 

“Rogers,” Steve’s voice rang out.

“Hey, Capsicle!” Tony hoped that the greeting sounded casual enough.

“Tony? What are you doing awake?” The super soldier’s voice was hushed but authoritative. Yep, that was Captain America mode. “Is everything okay?”

“Yep! Yep! Everything is fine! I was just…working. I wanted your opinion on…my suit.” Sure, that sounded believable enough. Good job, Tony.

“You called me at 4 AM to ask me about your suit?” Alright, when Steve said it the excuse didn’t sounds quite so believable. “Go to sleep, Tony.” Now Steve’s voice sounded more tired and frustrated than commanding. This was not how Tony wanted this conversation to go.

“Yeah, well, since you’re the one I tote around the most, I figured you’d be the best to ask about these handholds that I’m designing.” Tony almost patted himself on the back. Finally some of his genius was kicking in and he was able to tell a decent lie. 

“And it couldn’t wait until a reasonable hour?” Steve asked.

“I’m sorry. Did I wake you up?” Tony asked shamelessly. Steve was making this entirely too difficult. When he was met with nothing but silence, however, Tony offered the blonde an out. “Besides, evil never rests, blah, blah, blah. If we’re not constantly improving, we’re falling behind.”

Steve murmured something in reply, so Tony took the approval as a chance to start spewing off mindless statistics and figures. It only took 24 minutes of talking mechanics before he heard the soldier’s heavy steady breathing on the other end of the line.

Maybe it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to leave the call open while Tony found sleep again.

 

A week later, Steve still hadn’t come home and Tony’s sulking thus progressed to workshop stage. He even started working on those stupid handholds he had blathered on to Steve about all those nights ago. Bruce had tried, unsuccessfully, to lure the brunette out with promises of joint science projects and international food. Even Rhodey failed to entice Tony to leave the lab. Then again, the buzz of alcohol had been increasingly less inviting since The Great Genocidal Robot Incident of 2015. Or maybe it had just been increasingly less inviting since Steve. God, Tony would trade booze for Steve any day of the week.

Well, that just sounded pathetic. 

Tony tried shaking his head to rattle such thoughts away. The attempt was only roughly 12% successful, meaning that it was probably time to attempt sleeping again. 

The mechanic stretched and headed towards his uncomfortable workshop cot. It wasn’t exactly the lap of luxury, but sometimes the cot was more comforting than the large empty California king that waited for him so many floors above his head. 

It turned out that falling asleep wouldn’t be Tony’s problem tonight. Even waking up wasn’t the problem. The problem was what he saw when he slept. Sure, that witch was on their side now, but the damage had already been done. Tony could never un-see the vision she gave him when she was playing around in his brain. The brunette had resigned himself that he would be forced to watch the people he cared about most die over and over again. Still, it didn’t get any easier. 

It must have been part of the dream. Since when was the bed dipping beside him part of this nightmare, though? Tony pried his eyes open only to be confronted with a broad chest in a shirt that was at least one size too small. 

“I shoulda tried harder,” Tony managed to mumble to the chest.

“Shh. Go to sleep, Tony,” the chest answered.

The genius tipped his head forward so that it came into contact with the chest as two strong arms wrapped around him. The arms pulled Tony closer, revealing that there was, in fact, a stomach and legs attached to the chest, as well. Then, Tony head was tucked under a chin. His own breathing automatically synched up with the rising and falling of the chest that held him close. Tony’s eyes drifted closed again.

 

 

Tony awoke with a start, shooting up to a sitting position and swiveling his head to look around his lab. He could have sworn that his dream was real. It really felt like Steve had been there. Maybe Tony was more than toeing the boarder of eccentric and crazy, or maybe he should just cut back on Bruce’s strange international cuisine before bed.

Then, as Tony shifted to sit on the edge of the cot, he realized that the empty side was warm to the touch. 

 

 

It was more than just annoying that no one, including his own AI, would disclose where Steve was. Some would consider it infuriating. No matter. Just the fact that he was kept out of the loop motivated Tony more to find out on his own. That’s why he was determinedly not waiting with baited breath as the calculations finished triangulating Steve’s position using the admittedly hacked GPS on Steve’s cell.

“Well, I’ll be damned.” Tony muttered to no one in particular as he watched as the holographic screen zoomed in on Captain America’s pinpointed location. “So you thought that you could hide at the New Avengers facility, huh, big guy?”

With that great mystery solved, that only left an epic apology to be made and everything would be right in the world again. Of course, the last time he tried to make everything right in the world , Tony created Ultron. Maybe he could dial it back a notch. It shouldn’t be a big deal, right? Tactful was basically Tony’s middle name. Tony Tactful Stark. 

 

 

“HEY, SPANGLES!” Tony called out as he strutted into the facility that the New Avengers were calling home these days. 

“Tony? What are you doing here?” Rhodey asked as he appeared around a corner.

“It’s not cute anymore, buddy. I know Cap is here and I need to talk to him,” Tony answered brusquely. 

“I don’t know anything about that,” Rhodey answered carefully, “but IF Steve were here, he probably WOULD NOT be in HIS OFFICE.”

“His…office…” Tony pegged his long time friend with a meaningful look.

“You know, his office that’s down that hallway on the right. BUT! I know nothing about any of this and I am NOT getting involved and I am definitely NOT going against anything that a certain Russian asked of me.” Rhodey jerked his head to Tony’s right, holding his hands up as if in surrender.

“Really, Rhodes? Afraid of a little assassin?” Tony shot Rhodey one of his trademark grins as he started off down the indicated hallway.

“I like my pieces all where the are, thank you very much,” came the response. “Oh! And, Tony? Please make good choices. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

“I always do!” The mechanic yelled back over his shoulder.

Once he started down the indicated hallway, Tony realized he really didn’t know where to go from there. Hell, it was basically Tony’s facility. He had funded it, after all. After opening several doors with no success, the genius turned a corner and heard two familiar voices. Following the sound, Tony came across a cracked door.

“No, Steve,” came the voice of the Winter Soldier, “we’re talking about this!”

“I told you already, Buck. There’s nothing to talk about.” Steve replied coldly.

“I think there is! First you insist that we move here, then you call for him in your sleep - when you actually manage to sleep, might I add -- and now you went AWOL the other night! You didn’t even tell me you were leaving! I’m not an idiot, Steve! What is it that you think you’re doing?”

“It’s nothing!”

“Sure doesn’t sound like nothing to me.” Bucky’s words were full of venom, making Tony cringe. Those words certainly hit a little close to home. A pregnant pause filled the air before Steve’s voice replied much softer.

“Things…are just different now, Bucky. I haven’t changed, but the world has.”

“Don’t tell me that, Stevie,” Bucky’s voice pleaded, “don’t make me question our entire friendship. You’re all I have. Just, don’t tell me that.”

“Then we have nothing to talk about.” Steve’s tone was resolute but his volume almost a whisper.

Instead of words, Steve’s statement was answered with a crash of something breaking. Tony’s stomach churned at the sound. This definitely was not how he planned on his encounter with Steve going.

There were more words exchanged between the two super soldiers, but the mechanic couldn’t bear to listen anymore. He needed to regroup. He needed a tactical retreat. What he really needed was better timing.

“—I just need some time.” Bucky’s voice rang out louder and the door started to open. 

Tony ducked into the nearest unlocked room just in time to see Barnes emerge from Steve’s office and stalk off down the hallway that Tony had been standing in seconds before. He knew he should just leave. He had obviously already caused enough trouble for one day, maybe even three or four. 

As Tony snuck out of his hiding spot, he passed back by the door to Steve’s office. The door was now open about a third of the way. Like a moth to flame, Tony couldn’t help but chance a glance inside.

The blonde super soldier sat on a large blue couch, his head cradled heavily in his hands. Glass and a broken picture frame lay strewn across the awful beige carpet.

Before he knew what was happening, Tony found himself stepping inside and closing the door behind him.

“Please,” Steve said softly, “no more tonight, Bucky. I’m too tired.”

Tony crouched down in front of the larger man, peeling his hands away from his face and giving him a soft smile. Steve’s eyes lifted, unshed tears brimming at the corners, full of hurt and confusion. The brunette reached up and thumbed at the moisture in Steve’s ice blue eyes.

“That’s right, sweetheart,” Tony whispered, his voice thicker than he intended it to sound. “No more tonight.”

The mechanic slid himself onto the couch, wrapping his arms around the larger man. They didn’t really talk any further, they just held each other close. It’s not like it would kill Tony to sleep in a suit again, anyway.

 

 

It was all over the news. Hollywood’s newest power couple, the tabloids called them. The pictures of Pepper and that singer from Coldplay were inescapable. Tony figured that’s what must happen when the CEO of one of the most successful international companies shows up on the red carpet – and Grammy’s after party – with someone who is not a superhero, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist but that the world mysteriously still loves. Being a musician really isn’t that cool once you put in perspective. As much as Tony wanted to believe that Pepper was settling, he knew deep, deep, deep down that she hadn’t smiled at him like that since the first time Iron Man had almost heroically died.

He probably writes overly emotional songs for her. Tony supposes that those probably go over better than giant bunnies. 

Still, Tony has turned over a new leaf. He’s being totally mature about this and handling it like any well balanced human being would. That’s how Iron Man ended up at a local hole-in-the-wall bar.

Apparently it only took buying six rounds for the whole bar before the place turns into a party. He had already won 15 games of pool, but the mathematics of the game meant that it was hardly a challenge. Still, it seemed to please the crowd and it gave the media some good pictures. 

Tony stepped back to lean against the wall and watch as a bar full of strangers laughed and drank as though there were no worries in the world. It must be nice to live so carefree. 

The genius had sacrificed so much for these strangers. He sacrificed his health, his business, and his happiness for them. All that, and they would never fully appreciate everything he had given them. He’d always be a fuck up in their eyes.

“Looks like one hell of a party.”

Tony couldn’t help but jump in surprise at the sound of the voice next to him.

“Shit, Cap! You’re sure are stealthy for being the size of a giant patriotic lumberjack! Black Widow been giving you lessons?” Tony’s heart was still thumping wildly as he recovered from the shock of Captain America suddenly materializing next to him. That perfect smile that Steve directed toward him with wasn’t helping his heart rate at all, either. “How’d you find me, Steve?”

“FRIDAY likes me better than you.” And there was that cheeky grin again. The two men locked gazes and Tony begged any higher being that would listen that Steve would somehow understand everything the brunette wished he could say. He was just so damn tired of feeling so damn alone. “C’mon, Tony. Let’s go.”

“Go? Where are we going?” Steve was already walking to the door and Tony couldn’t help but follow along after him as if attached to the super soldier by an invisible leash. Maybe he would just blame physics. Those muscles must have their own gravitational pull. Experiments would be required later. Preferably shirtless experiments.

Crap! Steve had been talking. Better look like he was paying attention. Tony raised his eyebrows as they reached Capsicle’s crotch rocket and the larger man turned to look at the mechanic. After seeing Tony’s expression, Steve just laughed.

“I said that you’ll just have to wait and see. Now, put on a helmet and hold on to me.” Steve tossed a flimsy looking plastic helmet into Tony’s hands and he kicked the motorcycle to life.

“Uh…well, first off, no. Secondly, I have a flying suit. Third, I don’t ride bitch. Four, again, no. Five, seriously, Cap? This is a death trap the way you drive it.” Tony tried to force the helmet back into Steve’s hands, but the soldier refused to take it.

“None of those points were complete thoughts, Tony, so I’m disregarding all of them. I have to say that I’m surprised, though. I had no idea that Iron Man could be such a coward when it comes to transportation.” Tony’s whole body tensed at the fighting words. He was just opening his mouth to let the nonagenarian have it when the sassy bastard gave him a smirk. 

“Careful there, buddy,” Tony warned, but he was already strapping the helmet on. “I know what you’re doing and it’s not going to work. You know full and well that I’m not a coward with or without the suit.”

“Then prove me wrong,” Steve countered with that same smirk.

“You know what? Fine! I am. I’m going to prove you so wrong that it finally wipes that pretty little Captain America smirk off your perfect face.” Tony’s last words were lost to the wind as he gripped onto the larger man in front of him and they tore off down the street.

They practically flew down the familiar streets of Manhattan and Tony could swear that Steve was being extra reckless on purpose. He tightened his grip on Steve and desperately tried to ignore how wonderful the muscles beneath his hands felt. 

Well, his own tower wasn’t much of surprise destination.

The subterranean garage opened for them as FRIDAY welcomed them back. Maybe this was Steve’s way of telling him to be more responsible and get back to work. That would be a very Captain-esque thing to do, but Tony seriously hoped they were past that stage in their relationship. 

They finally coasted to a stop in Steve’s designated parking spot and the super soldier removed his helmet. The brunette held his breath, waiting for Steve’s explanation, but he remained silent. Tony could feel the rise and fall of Steve’s breathing against him. 

Suddenly the moment felt very different than it had a minute ago.

Tony flattened the palm of his hand to Steve’s stomach. He felt the blonde tilt his head back slightly and his own hand ghosted over Tony’s. The mechanic knew that his breath must be tickling across Steve’s ear and neck. The soldier’s hand tightened over Tony’s, briefly encouraging it to press inward and upward into Steve’s abs.

“Steve,” Tony sighed. Though it was supposed to be a reassurance, it obviously had the opposite effect as the magic of the silence was broken.

Steve’s hand gripped Tony’s more firmly and the genius allowed it to pry his hand off of Cap’s stomach. 

“C’mon, Tony. Let’s go.” Steve spoke without looking at Tony. It sounded so resigned that it caused the smaller man to wince.

“Hey,” Tony called gently, grabbing onto his leader’s bicep in an attempt to turn him around. “What’s going on, Cap?” When Steve refused to turn, Tony darted out in front of him to stop the blonde’s forward progression.

“I feel like if I asked you that, I’d get an answer that I didn’t want to hear,” Steve replied, pointedly looking away. 

Just as Tony was about to retort, Steve held up his hands in surrender and cut him off.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I’m just…I’m keeping my promise to you.” 

Tony tilted his head to the side in response to Steve’s white flag. Life wasn’t supposed to be so confusing when you had a genius level IQ, but people’s feelings always did seem to be a chink in Tony’s armor.

“Jesus, Steve,” Tony finally spoke softly, “do you think you could try to be a little more cryptic?” They searched each others’ faces, searching for answers to unspoken questions before Tony finally offered, “C’mon! I want to see what you promised me! Was it a pony? I don’t remember being promised a pony, but I certainly wouldn’t turn it down. You should know, though, that all pony related responsibilities fall on the shoulders of the pony buyer. I am not cleaning its litter box.” Steve laughed and shook his head, striding off toward the elevator and waiting for Tony to follow.

“I would never inflict such torture on an innocent creature,” Steve assured with a genuine smile. Tony couldn’t help but grin back at him. Making Steve smile was nice.

It turned out that Steve had beers and a movie waiting on them. They talked for hours about both everything nothing in particular. The tall blonde had sat himself resolutely on the far end of the couch from Tony, but, somewhere between the 6 beers he polished off and the friendly bantering, the brunette eventually found his head in Steve’s lap. 

As Tony stared up and the handsome man, he couldn’t stop the words from spilling out. “Come home.”

Steve visibly stiffened but forced out a small smile and shook his head. “I have a fine home, Tony. It’s just not in this tower anymore.”

“Come home, Steve. Come home and come to bed.” Tony reached out and touched the blonde man’s cheek, but Steve just turned his head away.

“No. I can’t do that. I can’t do it anymore.” That tone was unmistakably Captain America. That was exactly the tone that he used when he was being a pretentious judgmental bastard. That tone incited a rage in the mechanic that he just couldn’t tamp down in time.

“You can’t do it, Rogers?” Tony spat out, sitting up. “You can’t do me, huh? Why’s that? Because I’m a fuck up? Or is it because you dance around in a star spangled costume on a daily basis and that guy can’t bear to have his image tarnished with a blemish like me? You think you’re so far above me, so what brings you here? To what do I owe this pleasure?” 

Steve’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t back down from Tony’s thrown gauntlet. 

“You want to know why I’m here tonight? I’m here because I promised you that I’d be there for you when Pepper moved on. Despite everything you’ve done to try to drive me away, I’m still here for you. I’m still trying to be your friend.” Steve let out a humorless laugh and shook his head. “I guess that makes me a fool.”

“Excuse me? I drive you away? Last I checked, you made the big boy decision to fucking leave all by yourself.” Both men were on their feet now and Tony was livid. He may not be the giant green rage monster on the team, but he knew how to use his anger to wound. “Better get used to that kind of thing, Cap, because by the way things are going, that’s how you’re going to spend the rest of your life: all by yourself. Not even your little Brooklyn boyfriend wants you now.”

A loud crack and the sound of glass hitting the floor momentarily distracted the genius from his attack. Cheap beer and blood ran from Steve’s palm, over the knuckles of his clenched fist, and onto the carpet where the remains of the beer bottle that had moments before been intact in Steve’s hands now laid on the floor. Tony couldn’t look at his face. He didn’t want to know the full extent of the damage that he had just inflicted. 

Thankfully he was saved from whatever Steve was going to say next by the ringing of a cell phone. Steve reached for his pocket and Tony turned his back. He heard the super soldier answer and then his voice and footsteps grow fainter as he left. 

Well that was just dandy. The truth still stung deep in the mechanic’s chest. He had just driven Steve off. More accurately, he had just driven Steve off again. Tony was better off alone, anyway, he consoled himself. The moderate amount of alcohol in his system and the sudden relapse into immaturity that he’d just experienced tempted the mechanic to treat himself to a drunken workshop bender.

He was headed to the elevator, mind made up, when his own cell phone buzzed. Half heartedly, Tony glanced down at the screen. Steve’s name and that picture of him sleeping sprawled out on Tony’s bed flashed at the top of the screen. The message read, “Mission. I’ll be back to finish our conversation later. We should both cool off, anyway.”

Tony froze in his spot. He eyed the elevator door and the bottle of scotch in his hand before his phone buzzed again. Steve’s second message said, “And please try to get your head out of your ass.”

The bottle of scotch already forgotten, Tony jogged to the elevator while calling out to his AI, “FRIDAY, roof!”

 

 

Tony must have sat on Steve’s bed in the New Avengers Facility for hours. Unable to sit still, he had posted up his suit that he flew over in as a sentry and started fiddling with the schematics for Captain America handgrips that he’d been tinkering with the last month. It only held his attention for so long, however, so he took to pacing and playing with his phone. Then there was some more sitting involved, which was where Tony was when the suit turned to him and stated, “Captain America’s presence detected.”

Tony had just enough time to lift his head before the legend himself walked in the door.

“Steve!” The super soldier stopped in his tracks and looked as if he were about to turn and leave.

“Please, not now, Stark.” The words were cold enough to make the mechanic shiver slightly. It had been awhile seen he had been ‘Stark’ to the man who stood in front of him.

“Just…” Tony had composed a speech, but it all left him in that moment. Instead, he stared into Steve’s eyes and surrendered. “I’m sorry. You were right. I drove you away. I drove you away because apparently at some point between almost wiping out the human race and playing cuddle buddies, I fucking fell in love with you.”

Tony realized that he was shaking, but he couldn’t stop. “Do you know what that witch – yes I know her real name and I choose not to use it – made me see? Do you know what my worst fear is? Well, it’s losing you. That’s what she showed me. I saw you die and you told me that I should have save saved you. I could have saved you if I had just tried harder. You die because of me, Steve. You’re my biggest fear and my greatest weakness because I fucking have feelings for you. I’ve said the wrong things. I’ve done things to hurt you. Honestly, I’ve been an asshole. I should have sorry a long time ago, but I didn’t. I hope it’s still worth something now.” 

That’s how they reached this moment, standing way too close and with Tony covered in goosebumps wishing that he could just reach out and kiss Steve. 

“Last time I’m asking.” Steve’s dark voice broke Tony’s reverie. “What did you say?”

Swallowing down his nerves, Tony answered, “I said that I’m sorry--”

“No.” The blonde’s sharp response coming out before Tony could even finish talking. “The other part. Repeat it.”

Tony held his gaze firm, not breaking eye contact. “I really don’t have a fucking clue what you’re looking for here, Cap. All I can do is apologize.”

“Tony,” Steve started sternly. He still couldn’t tell whether the blonde was going to deck him or kiss him. Honestly Tony knew which option he would choose, but he figured that he probably wasn’t the option he deserved. “I have been waiting for months to hear you say some form of those three words directed toward me. At this point, I think I’ve earned the right to hear you say them again.”

“I love you, Steve. God fucking help me, I do.” Tony’s dark eyes danced, hoping that he’d finally gotten things right this time.

Steve’s still gloved hand came up to cup the back of Tony’s neck and tilt his head up. A small smile tickled at the corners of the larger man’s lips as he brought their faces so close that their noses brushed. Tony’s breath hitched as he brought his hands grasp Steve’s sides and feel the press of the soldier’s dense muscles beneath the thick material of the uniform. 

The blonde’s smile grew. He brought their lips close enough to brush as he said, “Don’t freak out,” and closed the distance between them.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
